IMA calls off nationwide doctors' strike after National Medical Commission bill sent to standing committee

NEW DELHI: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Tuesday called off the nationwide doctors' strike after the National Medical Commission Bill was sent to the standing committee of Parliament.

The twelve-hour strike, which was in force from 6:00 am today, was participated by more than two lakh doctors.

The protest was against the National Medical Commission Bill, which aims to replace the MCI. With doctors staying off duty, the protest against the new bill has left many patients in the lurch.

The National Medical Commission bill was, meanwhile, tabled in the Lok Sabha today after which the upper house of the Parliament send it to the Standing Committee. 

The Standing Committee will submit a report on it in the first week of the budget session. 

In Kerala, while the doctors at the state-run medical colleges decided to keep away from the Out Patient Department for an hour from 8:00 am-9:00 am and at the state-run hospitals from 9:00-10:00 am, in many private hospitals the protests would continue till 6:00 pm.

However, the emergency services have not been affected.

To register their protest against the new bill, more than 3,000 doctors from 14 districts staged a dharna in front of the Governor's house in Thiruvananthapuram.